Recent comments in /f/Pennsylvania

psychcaptain t1_jbhg399 wrote

Reply to comment by Aisling207 in Pennsylvania has No. 4 highest tax rates in U.S.: report by dissolutewastrel

A widow only loses the benefits if they get married before age 60.

Do you know a lot of 50 year Widows living off their dead spouses Social Security Benefits?

We aren't talking about 75 year Meredith, we are talking about 50 year Sandra's, who should get a job.

And if they are disabled at 50, and getting DIB, they also keep their Spouses benefits.

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start260 t1_jbhg2zs wrote

Reply to comment by Aisling207 in Pennsylvania has No. 4 highest tax rates in U.S.: report by dissolutewastrel

That’s still a substantial amount of tax revenue. However I did not realize how much the revenue has gone down. The feds getting rid of the estate tax which effectively repealed the Pa Estate tax and legislation allowing the ability to pass down family owned businesses and farms without paying the tax has had a huge effect on revenue. So yes there are ways to avoid the tax and Estate lawyers do earn their keep.

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Aisling207 t1_jbhft7l wrote

Reply to comment by psychcaptain in Pennsylvania has No. 4 highest tax rates in U.S.: report by dissolutewastrel

My point was that even the Fed recognizes that taxing all estates/inheritances regardless of size is unfair. You are arguing for a regressive tax. A widow/er who would lose their income or right to be buried with a previous spouse by remarrying should not be forced to sell their house to pay the state if their partner dies. A person without children should not be penalized for wanting to provide for the time and expenses of an unrelated caregiver.

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psychcaptain t1_jbhflr7 wrote

Reply to comment by Aisling207 in Pennsylvania has No. 4 highest tax rates in U.S.: report by dissolutewastrel

I am unsympathetic to Babies Boomers who voted GOP for decades, and now getting hurt by their own rules.

I do now a bit about Social Security Benefits though. As a widow, you get up to 75% of your spouses PIA as long as it doesn't exceed your benefits. Homemakers are screwed by this, but so is everyone without an income, whether you are married or not. God, if you have been disabled for a while, that's a lot of potential income you have lost for Social Security Benefits. You do get COLA.

But, I digress. As widow (er), you can get up to 75% of your spouses PIA, as long as it doesn't exceed your own Payments. Depending on the situation, that should be more than half the income people usually get, which makes some sense, because it's supporting half the people.

Here's the thing, if you remarry before 60, you might lose it (unless you divorce again), but if you remarry after 60 you don't.

If you remarry before 60, hopefully you are working and making your way in the world, and of reliant on your dead husbands pension.

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BurghPuppies t1_jbhf1b0 wrote

Reply to comment by drxdrg08 in Sen. Doug Mastriano reportedly weighing US Senate run by Garbage_will_not

Let me answer your questions for you:

  • Bernie & Hillary played with the same rules in the 2016 primaries. The point of contention is the role of superdelegates, most of whom were party officials and who presumably would go for Hillary. DYK that Hillary actually won more regular delegates than Bernie, though? So even without superdelegates, he would have lost. Oh, and call me crazy… but don’t the Dems have a right to back the candidate they choose instead of someone who… let’s all say it together… was proudly not even a Democrat??

  • Trump-Russian collusion was never proven, which is a long way from saying it was completely made up. Trump could have helped himself by, oh IDK, not publicly asking Russia for help during his press conferences & campaign rally. It WAS proven that Russia did attempt to sway the election toward Trump through social media and creating sham “media outlets”.

  • It’s still unknown where Covid came from, but the right’s narrative that Dems said it couldn’t have is untrue. This is also a claim pinned to Fauci, who in fact left the door open many times as to its origin. Where it came from has nothing to do with how poorly Trump handled the virus, ranging everywhere from saying it would disappear to praising Chinese president Xi for his handling of it, to suggesting doctors inject both sunlight and disinfectant.

Sorry to hone in so much on Trump, but when you mention lies, he just comes to mind.

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Tria821 t1_jbhexr3 wrote

Reply to comment by MRG_1977 in Sen. Doug Mastriano reportedly weighing US Senate run by Garbage_will_not

It was my understanding that the PA GOP cut a deal with McCormick; if he didn't force a recount and extend the 2022 Primary and let Oz have it. The powers-that-be assured him that they would clear the way for him in 2024.

So either way, if Mastriano does run, it will rip apart what remains of the GOP. Honestly, sensible Republicans need to force the MAGA crowd out of the GOP, make them start their own MAGA/Q-party.

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Popular-Variation-29 OP t1_jbhebcl wrote

Reply to comment by hurricanesfan66 in Did anyone else move out of western Pennsylvania for greener pastures? by Popular-Variation-29

I love to visit too, but likewise I have my own family and home and I'm pretty happy where I'm at. And yeah, people pick up where I'm from sometimes based on my vernacular.

Smiley cookies were one of my favorites. We also have friends in Glen Campbell that we visit a couple of times a year, not sure how close that was to you.

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psychcaptain t1_jbhdj0l wrote

Reply to comment by Aisling207 in Pennsylvania has No. 4 highest tax rates in U.S.: report by dissolutewastrel

Ironically, I've worked in the retirement industry for over half a decade, and I do know the rules for 401(k) and Roth pretty well. I was talking about taxes per payroll.

Since we are talking about being dead, you aren't actually taxes on your 401(k). It can be passed on to your children and or spouse.

As for inheritance Taxes, I love it. It solves 3 distinct problems and no one suffers.

1). In a capitalist system, money should be earned. People should work for it. Competition should bring out the best. Generational Wealth distorts the system. It creates dynasties of people earning wealth on their wealth based on little or no input of the one holding it. It creates lazy lay abouts landless aristocracies and new version of feudalism. It breaks the system down.

2). The funding can be used for things that people care about, rather than statues, university wings of colleges you family will never attend, KKK groups or Libraries.

3). It helps people realize that they should spend their hard earned money and enjoy life. Accumulating wealth should not be something people do as an end goal Eye of a needle vs camels.

Now, I am happy to make exceptions for spouses and minor children, but outside of that, well, I hate the idea of creating more loop holes where none are necessary.

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Aisling207 t1_jbhdhxs wrote

Reply to comment by psychcaptain in Pennsylvania has No. 4 highest tax rates in U.S.: report by dissolutewastrel

I’m very familiar with pensions, including civil service, military, and private company pensions, as well as social security, thanks to helping several older relatives deal with their reduced pensions and social security benefits upon the death of a spouse. I honestly have no idea what you mean by “double dipping” or “last resort.” Do you know any retirees or widows?

Perhaps you think everyone should have an IRA or 401(k)? Well, many current retirees spent their main working years before those were the main way to save for retirement. And many people spent years out of the workforce caring for children or elderly relatives (for no pay).

It’s easy to be unsympathetic to hypothetical situations. When you actually see people struggling, it gets real.

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